Occurence of Ochratoxin A and Biogenic Amines in Croatian Commercial Red Wines

Abstract

Food safety is one of the main concerns in the world and in wine it depends mostly on metabolites of microbial origin. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of natural contaminants, ochratoxin A and biogenic amines (cadaverine, histamine, putrescine and tyramine), in Croatian commercial red wines originating from different Croatian wine-making regions. Ochratoxin A was detected in 92.8% of samples, however its concentrations in all samples were more than 10-fold lower than the limit set by the European Union (2 µg/kg), marking these wines as safe for consumption. The frequency of occurrence and measured concentrations of ochratoxin A were higher in wines produced in southern regions with highest values obtained in wines from southern Dalmatian islands. All samples were contaminated with cadaverine and putrescine, while 88.2% and 82.7% were contaminated with histamine and tyramine, respectively. Histamine concentrations ranged from below the limit of detection to 8.5 mg/L. Higher histamine concentrations were measured in wines with higher pH values which coincided with southern geographic origin. These results reinforce the need for routine detection and quantification of biogenic amines in Croatian wines to achieve better control of vinification and minimize their formation.

Current situation of biogenic amines in Rioja Alavesa red wines: A technical study

“…[19][20][21] However, Rioja Alavesa wines showed higher values for all analysed BAs, especially putrescine, in comparison with other studies. 2,[20][21][22][23] Putrescine is known to significantly contribute to total BAs content in wine. 2,24 Indeed, the 25% of wines showed more than 20 mg/L of putrescine, actually, above this level putrescine can negatively affect wine sensorial quality.…”

The Occurrence and Contamination Level of Ochratoxin A in Plant and Animal-Derived Food Commodities

“…Nevertheless, higher frequency and contamination were found in dessert wines than dry wines. More serious contamination was found in Croatia [50]. From 110 collected red wines, 98.2% were contaminated, with an average concentration of 0.040 µg/L.…”

Biogenic amines and the importance of starter cultures for malolactic fermentation

“…Žurga et al (2019) extensively evaluated Croatian wines, correlating physicochemical parameters and vintage with BA concentration. The concentration varied from undetectable to 55 mg/L of putrescine, 25 mg/L of histamine, 28 mg/L of tyramine and 14 mg/L of cadaverine.…”